Kwik Learning

THE SCIENCE OF WILLPOWER

October 13, 2023 by Kwik Team

People are successful for different reasons. But there is one trait that runs through all high achievers: willpower. The simple definition of willpower is “the ability to control one’s own actions, emotions, or urges” and “strong determination that allows one to do something difficult”.

No matter what your goal is, how hard you train, how detailed your plans, they will all hit roadblocks and obstacles. You’ll have days that feel overwhelming. Your emotions get the better of you. A you’ll frequently question if success is even possible. But if you want to achieve your goals, no matter how hard, audacious, and ambitious they may be, you have to develop the ability to persevere and overcome these difficulties. That’s where willpower comes in.

Decades of research on the science of willpower have created some interesting insights. And understanding them will help you learn how to increase willpower in your daily life. We’re going to explore the fascinating science of willpower. Once you understand the mechanisms behind willpower, you can learn to build your resistance and unlock your limitless goals.

Small instances of exercising willpower can help build perseverance for bigger ones

Walter Mitchel’s famous “Stanford Marshmallow Test” had children choose between eating some marshmallows now, or waiting 15 minutes and having a double-helping. He then tracked those children till they were roughly 32 years old. The children who were able to delay gratification for 15 minutes were more successful in their adult life. They achieved more and were able to reach their self-imposed goals more frequently than the children who ate the marshmallows first. The ability to delay gratification of a simple thing like a marshmallow prepared them for resisting bigger vulnerabilities and distractions later in life.

This can be exercised in your daily life. There’s always a marshmallow, so to speak. Instead of watching that Netflix show, spend thirty minutes cleaning, organizing, exercising, or reading before you allow yourself to sit down and zone out. You can work towards intermittent fasting, take more control of where you’re spending your time and focus, and so much more. Start noticing the marshmallow moments in your life and work towards delaying that instant gratification.

Willpower is a muscle

We all get muscle fatigue sometimes, right? Well, willpower gets fatigued too. And it can be just as debilitating. A study by scientist Roy Baumeister found that willpower acts just like your muscles. It tends to get fatigued when a lot of your tasks require self-control. If your willpower is exhausted, your performance will actually decrease when it comes to those specific tasks, which can lead to trying to exert more control and staying in that cycle.

This study led to two principles, that can help in training your mind to increase willpower:

To strengthen muscles, you need to exercise. That means you need to exercise your willpower frequently. As we mentioned above, find your marshmallow moments and practice delaying gratification.
But too much exercise leads to muscle fatigue. You need rest. Every moment of your day can’t be a battle of the internal wills, otherwise you deplete your ability to effectively delay gratification. In other words, sometimes it’s a good idea to put off Netflix, and sometimes you need to let yourself relax.

Make sure you find the balance between exercising and resting your self-control.

To increase willpower, you first have to believe that it is possible to change

A 2010 study by Veronica Job found that your beliefs about willpower can affect how much willpower you display while pursuing your real-life goals. The Stanford University team ran a series of experiments looking at individual beliefs when it comes to willpower. They found that if an individual believes that they a limited amount of willpower that decreases every time they use it, those same individuals displayed lower levels of willpower in their daily lives.

On the other hand, the people who believed willpower is not fixed and cannot be depleted, had much greater control over their selves. They displayed more willpower and were able to push through distractions and difficulties in order to achieve their goals.

Why willpower is crucial for learning

One thing will always encounter when learning something new is an obstacle. Usually, more than one. For every step forward, it’s common to experience one, two, sometimes five steps back. And that’s where building your willpower comes in. It doesn’t matter if you want to break a habit, build a new habit, learn a new skill, or manage your time more efficiently. There will always be a marshmallow waiting to derail you.

The one thing you need is strong willpower. It’s an essential quality to move forward in life. Learning a new skill or building a new habit requires the ability to know when to push forward, when to take a break, and how to analyze obstacles from different perspectives. Training your willpower will help you understand how to do exactly that.

Habits take anywhere from 28 to 66 days to truly solidify. And not every one of those days will be good. Willpower helps you stick to your new routine—even when you don’t want to. But the stronger your willpower gets, the easier it is to exert. And the same goes with learning. As you get better at sticking to your schedule, minimizing distractions, and doing the hard thing first, the more these behaviors will seep into your daily life. You’ll be able to learn more efficiently, which opens the door to learning more. And soon, you’ll be living the life you both desire and deserve.

Conclusion

Willpower is a complex subject. While researchers have worked hard to identify and measure it, it can still feel elusive in your daily life. But it is the key to unlocking your momentum so you can achieve your goals in life. Pay attention to your marshmallow moments, learn to listen to your body when you need to rest, and challenge yourself daily and you’ll be on your way to building this very important skill.

For more on how to develop willpower and self-discipline, watch this video:

THREE REASONS TO BECOME A REAL LIFE HERO

August 18, 2023 by Kwik Team

In 2009, the UN designated International Humanitarian Day as a way to embody the idea that anyone can be a hero. Celebrated every year on August 19, the day is both a way to honor those who have lost their lives working on humanitarian causes and encourages everyone to recognize ways they can give back in their daily life.

It’s easy to look at a police officer, firefighter, doctor, or nurse and recognize their heroic deeds. But what about the person who helps a stranger in a store? Or shares their umbrella at a bus stop? Being a hero is more than volunteering time or engaging in a specific career, it’s helping others everyday in situations big and small.

You’ve heard us say, reasons reap rewards. And there’s a reason helping others feels so good. It’s hard-wired into our neurology. So let’s dive into three reasons why you should become a real life hero.

Embrace Kindness

When you are kind to others, your brain releases three neurochemicals in response. The first chemical is oxytocin, the brain’s love chemical. This is the hormone that bonds you to others through love. Oxytocin elevates your trust levels, encourages you to be generous, and helps you become friendlier. When you engage in random acts of kindness, your brain releases oxytocin, which then triggers the rest of your reward centers.

The second chemical released is dopamine, the feel-good neurochemical. This hormone induces a pleasant state of short-term euphoria, which helps your brain reinforce the activity you just engaged in. Dopamine is strongly tied to your reward center. That’s what helps you develop habits. The more you engage in kind acts, the better you feel, which encourages those actions to become things you do frequently.

Your brain then releases a third hormone, serotonin. This hormone stabilizes mood and is generally attributed to your sense of happiness. Normal levels of serotonin helps you stay calm and focused in stressful situations, which leads to better outcomes.

This powerful combination helps sustain overall levels of happiness and life satisfaction. Both are incredibly motivating. When you live a life filled with acts of kindness and purposeful service, your brain chemistry works to encourage you to continue. You feel happier, fulfilled, and satisfied, triggering you to want to engage in kindness more. It’s a wonderful cycle. And one that’s easily introduced into your daily life.

One of the easiest ways to embrace kindness is simply working on how you see the world. We all get frustrated with our spouses, kids, co-workers, and even strangers. The next time you find yourself cursing the slow driver in front of you, or the co-worker who dropped the ball on a project, take a moment and reframe their behavior in a positive light. Instead of driving slow to irritate you, maybe they have a sick baby in the car or at home. When you change your frustration and outlook, you’ll be kinder to the person in response. And those small acts will not only make you feel better, they’ll make a world of difference to those around you.

Practice Gratitude

Gratitude also releases dopamine and serotonin. However, unlike with kindness, you only need to focus on your internal gratitude or express external gratitude to trigger these releases. That makes gratitude a powerful source of happiness and mental well-being that you can do anytime.

Every time you practice gratitude, you reinforce the neural pathways that release these neurotransmitters. And the more they’re released, the more entrenched these pathways become. And because these neurochemicals also work to reduce stress, improve memory, and stabilize your emotions, gratitude can be an effective tool to help redirect your mind and recenter your focus.

The beauty of gratitude is the multitude of ways in which you can express it. Every time you say thank you when someone opens a door or smile at a stranger, you release these feel-good neurochemicals. You can use gratitude when you’re stressed or frustrated by simply pausing and finding something to be grateful for. It disrupts the negative thought patterns and can help shift your mindset and outlook in that moment.

Gratitude not only reduces stress and anxiety, it also activates the part of your brain associated with altruism. The more you express gratitude, the more you want to give to those around you, which then gives you more to be grateful for. It’s a cycle that sustains itself and leads to a happier, more fulfilled life.

Other ways you can express gratitude is by keeping a gratitude journal. Every night end the day with three things you’re grateful for, and on tough days, review your previous entries. You can keep a gratitude jar, where you add to the jar daily and pull a piece of paper when you need a reminder. Write thank you notes to friends and families, or send random gratitude letters to those who mean the most to you.

When you take the time to reflect what you’re grateful for, you start to notice more of the abundance around you. It helps change your perspective and your mindset. Expressing gratitude not only increases your happiness and satisfaction, it also helps you find focus and clarity. And that helps you discover your purpose.

Unlock Purpose

It’s common to mistake passion for purpose. And while passion is vital in finding your purpose, it isn’t the sole ingredient. On one of our podcast episodes, Jim interviewed Jay Shetty, author of Think Like A Monk. Shetty also hosts his own podcast, On Purpose, and often discusses the purpose recipe. Passion + Service = Purpose.

Before you can plug in the formula, you have to start by embracing the sparks of curiosity. Curiosity can lead to finding things we’re passionate about. But as we all know, passion does not always lead to purpose. You can find your interest waning for a variety of reasons, but stomping out creativity by adhering too stringently to rules or waiting for the perfect moment will likely end in your passion fizzling out.

Researchers believe that the primary function of curiosity is to stimulate learning. And learning stimulates growth. When you allow the sparks of creativity to lead you down a path of learning, you can discover not just your passion, but also your purpose. And when you include kindness, generosity, and gratitude in your daily life, they can become the fuel that drives your passion and purpose forward.

When you find your purpose, you become an inspiration for others. Even if you aren’t saving lives, you never know who is watching and how you’re motivating or encouraging them to follow their curiosity and passion to discover their purpose. Your overall well-being improves, which improves everything from your productivity at work to forming deeper, more intimate relationships at home. In short, unlocking your purpose helps you become an everyday real life hero to everyone in your life.

Conclusion

Becoming a real life hero doesn’t require traveling the globe or engaging in monumental feats. By embracing kindness, practicing gratitude, and discovering your purpose, you improve the lives of everyone around you. This ranges from immediate family and friends, but also to those you work with, people you live around, and anyone else whose lives you unknowingly touch.

If you want to hear more about Jim’s real-life hero story, watch this video:

5 BRAIN-FRIENDLY SUMMER SUPERFOOD RECIPES

July 28, 2023 by Kwik Team

Are you looking for quick, easy, summer superfood recipes? We’ve got you covered.

Gardens may be brimming, but we know healthy eating can be a bit tricky during the summer. Vacations can disrupt meal planning and it’s easier to indulge when you’re away from home. Long days and hot nights can suppress the heartiest of appetites. But warm weather also means you’re likely more active. Swimming, hiking, kayaking, camping, mountain biking, and more activities require nutrient-packed foods to help keep you fueled all summer long.

You can find some of our favorite brain foods, here. You can incorporate these ten foods into every meal. And to make your life easier, we found five brain-healthy recipes to make your summer meal planning effortless.

Salmon with Blueberry Basil Sauce

Salmon is packed with brain-friendly omega-3’s. Up to 60% of your brain matter is made up of these fatty acids, which is why eating foods rich in omega-3’s is so important. It helps your brain absorb more oxygen, retain new information, improves memory, boosts serotonin levels, and improves mood. Combine that with antioxidant rich blueberries, and this meal is a supermeal for your brain.

Brain-friendly ingredients include:

blueberries
salmon
lemon
basil
olive oil
honey

You can make this even more powerful by serving on a bed of dark, leafy greens like spinach, kale, and collard greens, steam some broccoli for a delicious and filling side, or make this 5 ingredient lemon turmeric quinoa. It makes a delicious lunch or a lighter dinner. You can even serve it with eggs and toast for a fancy breakfast or brunch.

Brain-boosting Smoothie Bowl

This fast and easy smoothie bowl is a filling alternative for an easy breakfast on a warm morning. Kale is packed full of vitamin A, C, and K, along with antioxidants like beta-carotene, polyphenols, and flavonoids. Vitamin B heavy avocados have been linked to lower stress and anxiety. And thanks to high levels of tryptophans, they can boost serotonin and balance hormones.

Brain-friendly ingredients include:

avocado
spinach or kale
walnuts
chia seeds
flaxseed
lemons

Add delicious hemp-seeds, blueberries, coconut flakes, a dollop of honey, or any other brain-healthy topping of your choice to make this even more nutrient-dense and delicious. Try swapping out ingredients to make this uniquely your own.

Turmeric, Bean, & Spinach Veggie Tacos

These tacos are superfood dense. The curcumin in turmeric has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits that have been linked with preventing age-related brain disease like dementia due to reducing amyloid plaques. Thiamine-rich white beans boost mood, and help with production and function of healthy brain cells.

Brain-friendly ingredients include:

tumeric
white beans
spinach
olive oil
avocado

If you’re looking for a fun, interactive family recipe, these delicious tacos are perfect. They’re versatile, filling, and can be made ahead of time. You can customize the filling, tortillas, and vegetable ingredients to make this a winning dinner for every eater at your table.

Lazy Yogi Smoothie

Is there a better summer treat than a smoothie? They’re cool, packed with nutrients, and can be made to fit any craving. The metabolism-boosting MCT’s in coconut oil breaks down into ketones which turns into energy to fuel the brain. And dates add a sweet twist with the added benefits of multiple antioxidants. This smoothie will lower inflammation, sharpen your brain function, boost your mood, and give your metabolism an extra kick.

Brain-friendly ingredients include:

tumeric
blueberries
dates
coconut oil

You can add an avocado to make this a heartier meal, use seasonal berries fresh from your garden or local farmer’s market, or add chia or hemp seeds to keep you fuller longer. Pour this smoothie into a silicone popsicle mold for a delicious frozen afternoon treat or blend for additional time and then freeze for a healthy ice cream dessert alternative.

Egg, Avocado, & Olive Oil Toast

Breakfast or brunch doesn’t have to be a complicated affair. With four ingredients, this delicious meal is easy and flexible. Rich in choline, eggs reduce inflammation and promote healthy brain cell functionality. Olive oil has high levels of Vitamin C and E, promoting healthy brain function, and it protects the brain from damage.

Brain-friendly ingredients include:

eggs
avocado
olive oil

You can leave this open or use a second piece of bread for an on-the-go breakfast sandwich. Add crispy kale for some added crunch, spread some creamy hummus with the avocado, or dd your favorite protein for an added nutrient boost.

Conclusion

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be a chore. You can have fun finding new recipes, make weekly farmer market trips a family activity, experiment with new foods, and put your own healthy spins on whatever you find. With these delicious summer superfood recipes, you can fuel your body and feed your brain all summer long.

For even more on easy, healthy, brain-friendly summer superfood recipes, watch this video:

OVERCOME LIMITING BELIEFS WITH STEVEN BARTLETT

July 21, 2023 by Kwik Team

Steven Bartlett believes that “self-awareness is realizing that there is no opponent – you’re fighting against yourself.” Yet, even with that belief, Steven admits that after talking to Jim on a recent episode of The Diary of a CEO podcast, he realized he still had limiting beliefs he was holding onto.

If you’re familiar with Steven or his podcast, that might be a surprise. After all, The Diary of a CEO is Europe’s most downloaded podcast. Success is not something that Steven appears to struggle with. He’s the co-founder of multiple companies, runs a successful podcast, and is the author of several books. And yet, even with all his success, all his accomplishments, Steven still experiences limiting beliefs.

It’s a powerful reminder that no one is immune to self-doubt. But it’s also a demonstration on how life-changing realization and self-empowerment can be. During their nearly two hour conversation, Jim and Steven covered so many amazing topics, including:

Jim talks about his mission, where he started, and why he’s so driven to fulfill it. [3:01]
When we have the two biggest cognitive dips in our lives, and how it relates to death. [11:24]
Why exercise is so important and the different types that are best for your brain. [14:25]
The four different cognitive brain types, how they influence your thinking, and where to find which type you are. [17:52]
Various tools to help you organize your thinking and make better decisions. [21:58]
How to find your dominant question and why it’s so important to help with your passion, purpose, and focus in life. [30:39]
Steven talks how his career has changed focus by utilizing these five buckets, but how they’ve also highlighted his own limiting beliefs. [39:43]
This is how Jim uses the the Feynman Technique to make learning accessible—and how you can to remember more information easier. [44:24]
The ten keys to upgrading your brain and unlocking your limitless memory. [51:50]
Why reading is so powerful and how you can learn to read faster with a few simple exercises. [1:04:26]
The first principles for finding flow and staying there. [1:14:00]
Is there an area of your life where you feel like you’re in a box? Here’s how to get out of it—and what Steven struggles with. [1:21:27]
In Steven’s last question tradition, Jim shares his most recent regret. [1:33:33]

As you can see, their conversation was incredibly in-depth with so many actionable tips that you can use to improve your learning and unlock your limitless potential. We can’t wait for you to listen and start applying the valuable information to your life today.

RESET Your Brain

July 7, 2023 by Kwik Team

We’ve officially reached the halfway point of 2023 and our monthly theme on the Kwik Brain Universe app is reset. If you haven’t joined yet, you can sign up, here. This is your one-stop-shop for all your courses. It’s also the best place to connect with other lifelong learners, along with being the first to find out about new events, groups, and programs.

When it comes to reaching your goals, it’s important to do a check-in, reset your brain, and make small changes to continue your forward momentum. Maybe the first six months of the year have been a struggle for you. If so, that’s okay. You can find your greatest strengths in your biggest struggles. All it takes is one step in a different direction to change your entire trajectory.

STEPS TO R.E.S.E.T

When you envision your goal, it might seem like a good idea to paint the perfect picture of that positive future. And while that’s sometimes a good place to start, it’s not always the case. If that vision feels too far away, it can actually trigger a stress response in your brain. Instead of feeling motivated, you’ll more likely end up in fight, flight, or freeze mode. And that can be extremely demotivating.

One of the best things you can do when faced with overwhelm is break things down into small, simple steps. They help your goal feel manageable and allow you to focus on smaller, more easily achievable goals. This helps you not only feel safe—which alleviates stress—it builds momentum and energy because you’re able to make progress.

To help you remember how to reset your brain, all you have to do is remember R.E.S.E.T.

Routine:

I believe the treasure you seek is hidden in your daily routines. I’m a firm believer that how you start and end your day matters, which is why I have both a morning and an evening routine. I go over the four basic elements of both, here. And here’s a more detailed look at my ideal morning.

It’s important to remember that these episodes and lists aren’t meant to be absolutes every day. They’re meant to be your ideal goal. No one has a perfect morning—not even me. But I try to do as many of them as I can without adding stress to my already busy day. Some important areas to create routines around are sleep, meditation, healthy eating, exercise, and journaling. These all have tremendous benefits for your mental and physical health.

A routine doesn’t help if it’s overwhelming or stressful, so customize yours to fit your schedule and lifestyle. If you’re creating a new routine, start small. Remember, little by little, a little becomes a lot. Take one habit and build from there.

Emotions:

Your emotions are a barometer. They are meant to help you assess your mental state and warn you when you’re nearing overwhelm and burnout. It’s important to honor your emotions instead of resisting them.

That might be easier said than done. It can be tempting to try and bulldoze your way through a difficult day. But when you do that, you’re more likely to make mistakes, find yourself in conflict with others, or overlook important details. It might feel like you’re moving forward, but when you ignore your natural warning signs, you might actually be moving backwards.

What you resist persists. Whatever you’re avoiding is likely what you have to face in order to move forward. The obstacle is always the way. Take time to pause and really listen to what your emotions are trying to tell you. Maybe you need a break. Or help. Talking to someone might unlock a new approach you never considered before. You might need to take a step back and look at your previous steps. Did you miss an important lesson? Or take a shortcut that is now creating the obstacle?

Before your emotions take over, be sure to spend time acknowledging them. Journaling every day is a wonderful way to organize your thoughts and spend time with your emotions. It reduces anxiety and gives your brain the space it needs to process problems and analyze situations. Remember, your emotions are sign posts. Don’t forget to use them.

Sever:

It can be hard in our modern world to actually disconnect, but it’s incredibly important for your mental health. You want to sever your connections to the digital world from time to time.

When was the last time you went out to dinner without your phone? Or turned off the internet and read a book or played a game with your family? Social media and streaming companies spend billions of dollars to find ways to keep you online. Their ultimate goal is to get you addicted to their products and services.

Technology is a wonderful tool. It connects you to people you love, can be used to learn and grow, and can even be a source of inspiration. But like any tool, it’s all about how you use it. Fire can cook your food or burn down your house. You want to be sure that you are using it—not it using you.

In my book, Limitless, I use the following quote from the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre: “Life is the C between B and D. B is birth; D is death; C is choice.” Ultimately, you have the choice to decide what to focus on and how to spend your time. Difficult times can define you, they can diminish you, or they can develop you. Make sure you spend your time focused on the things that matter and not endlessly scrolling or binging media.

Explore:

Curiosity is one of the most important emotions to cultivate along with gratitude. When you’re curious, you’re less fearful—just like when you’re grateful. But curiosity extends past learning about new things. It can also help you overcome obstacles.

Think about a time someone was upset at you. Imagine how the situation could have changed if you had been curious instead of angry. Curiosity leads you to ask questions, prompts you to look at things from a different perspective, and go outside of your comfort zone. It’s been suggested that curiosity is one of the reasons positive emotions exist. It can enhance your connections, lead to higher levels of motivation, and give you a sense of purpose.

Don’t be afraid to try new things. Even something as simple as listening to a new playlist, trying a new exercise routine, or going to a new restaurant can spark new ideas and energize you in surprising and unexpected ways. You might feel stuck not because you’re doing too much. But because you’re not doing enough of the things that inspire and motivate you. Ask questions, say yes, and embrace curiosity in everything you do.

Think:

Part of pursuing a goal is stepping back and evaluating them. It can be too easy to lose sight of your goal in the drudgery of life. You want to remember why you had the dream in the first place. If you’re stuck, it might be because your goal isn’t aligned in your heart and mind.

One of the most important things to remember is that there’s a difference between goal-setting and goal-getting. You can listen to our numerous episodes on goals, here.

You want to make your goals S.M.A.R.T.:

Specific — Make your goal as specific as possible with well-defined steps and verifiable results. Instead of saying I want a raise, define what a good raise looks like and how you can go about getting it.
Measurable — You have to measure your progress so you can see how far you’ve come. If you can’t measure your goal, you can’t manage or track it.
Action-oriented — These are the steps that push you forward and give you direction. What actions can you take every day to make progress?
Realistic — Be realistic about your time frames, your outcomes, and dreams. If your company never goes above a 5% raise, a 15% goal isn’t realistic. Make sure you can actually achieve your goal.
Time-Bound — While you can stretch your goals out as long as you want, the longer it takes to reach it, the more likely you’ll lose motivation. Challenge keeps you engaged, so set a time frame and stick to it.

But you also want to make sure they have H.E.A.R.T.:

Healthy — If you get a promotion at the cost of your health or relationships, you haven’t gained—you’ve lost. Always make sure you’re balancing your goals with your mental, physical, and relationship health.
Enduring — Every goal will be hard at some point. Make sure your goal will get you through the hard times and difficult situations by attaching a strong emotional element that motivates and drives you.
Alluring — Imagine everything achieving that goal will bring. Maybe a promotion means more money for a bigger house, a dream vacation, or a new car. Don’t be afraid to dream.
Relevant — No matter what your goal is, tie it to your life. How will learning to play the ukulele make your life better? Will it bring you closer to someone? Create a link to an ancestral history? Personal goals drive you forward and give you purpose.
Truth — If you pursue a degree because your parents want you to, the odds of you sticking with it when things get hard are low. Find your truth. Know your truth. And stick with your truth.

KEEP SHOWING UP

When it comes to your goals, imagine what you want most. See it, feel it, believe in it, and then work daily for it. If you need to, break your goal down into smaller goals, and then break those down into small, simple steps.

Pursuing your goals isn’t about forcing an outcome. It’s about finding flow. You want to push and challenge yourself with stretch goals, but you also need to give yourself time and space to recover from setbacks so you can learn and grow along the way.

There is no goal too big if you are realistic about how to reach it. Never shrink what’s possible to fit your mind. Expand your mind to fit what’s possible by upgrading your mindset, motivation, and methods to give yourself the tools and resources to meet your biggest dreams.

If you’re struggling to stay on track, don’t beat yourself up. Often, a simple reset fixes the problem. Try rebooting your brain and realigning yourself with the HEART of your goal. Make sure to acknowledge your hard work and celebrate each success along the way—no matter how small. Remember, there’s a version of you that you haven’t met yet. Keep showing up and doing the work until you’re introduced.

As an added bonus, watch this video for four things you can change to maximize your results?

MEMORY TRAINING: HERE’S WHY YOU NEED IT

June 30, 2023 by Kwik Team

Have you ever been in a meeting and forgotten the name of your client? Or found yourself so overwhelmed that you missed an important meeting? If your memory often fails in stressful moments, there’s good news: you can train your memory.

The human brain is adaptable. It’s is a muscle, and like any muscle, it needs training to stay fit. Memory training is one of the exercises you can do to keep your brain healthy, adaptable, and strong. But a trained memory is good for more than simple fitness. It can be one of your most valuable assets.

A good memory can help you at every age and stage of your personal and professional life. It enables you to store large amounts of information, learn new concepts faster, and recall important information when you need it. Friends and family will know they can depend on you, and remembering deadlines, meetings, and other important events and tasks will help you professionally.

People with a well-trained memory are recognized as smart, knowledgeable, independent, and competent. A sharp memory can impress clients and make them feel valued when you have key statistics at your fingertips during a presentation and can recall information to make decisions faster.

Here are some tips to start training you memory.

Warm-up Your Brain

Before you start any physical workout, you need to do warm-up exercises. It’s the same with your brain. A warm-up ensures that your muscles are limber so that you avoid injury. While you may not sprain your brain with mental exercise, it is possible to experience overload and overwhelm.

You would never train for a marathon by running all twenty-six miles. When first starting a new memory training program, you want to start slowly. That’s why all of our learning modules are less than thirty minutes a day. The point is to build up to your memory potential—not inundate it.

Practice your chosen exercise throughout the day. If it’s going to the grocery store without a list, practice remembering your list on your way to work, on your lunch break, and on your way to the grocery store. This keeps your brain flexible and on alert as you work towards memory expertise.

Challenge Your Brain

While you don’t want to start too aggressively, your brain still needs to feel challenged in order to gain momentum. If you don’t ever challenge your muscles, they’ll never get stronger, and you won’t achieve your goals. Your brain will find the same activity less challenging over time, so it’s important to add intensity, change the frequency, and vary the duration of your mental exercises.

You can do this by practicing multiple memory exercises throughout your day. Stop relying on your phone to remember dates, phone numbers, and other important information. Practice other exercises, like reciting the periodic table, doing simple mental math, and learning new vocabulary words.

Another way you can challenge your brain and stay mentally fit is to learn something new. Whether it’s learning how to play a musical instrument, picking up a second (or third) language, or mastering a new hobby like work working or knitting, simply engaging in the lessons will keep your brain active and engaged. Even better, you’ll find you have better focus, attention, and concentration in other areas as well.

Cross-train Your Brain

Cross-training is when you use different physical, mental, and creative exercises to stimulate specific areas of your brain so you can gain maximum benefits. By using a combination of activities, you can achieve faster results.

Think of it this way, you wouldn’t exercise only one muscle if you were trying to get in shape. You’d do cardio, strength training, endurance training, and focus on specific muscle groups on varying days. The same is true with your brain. Focusing only on remembering grocery lists, for example, wouldn’t necessarily help with phone numbers or putting faces to names. But to say you have a good memory, you’d want to have the ability to remember a wide variety of information.

Because your body and brain are connected, there are a variety of exercises you can do to help enhance cognitive performance and improve neural health. Let’s look at a few of these exercises that can help improve your memory when combined with a memory training program.

Physical Exercise

Physical exercise is improves cognitive function in the areas of concentration, problem-solving, attention, and recall, to name a few. When you challenge yourself with new physical activities it builds and maintains your cognitive skills even more. Your brain has to learn movements, form, and routines. Take swimming as an example. Swimming will improve your overall health, build muscles, and strengthen overall organ functionality. It keeps your brain active as you learn new skills, process the different type of swim strokes, track laps, and focus on controlling your breathing. You use both your body and your mind throughout the workout.

The healthier your body, the healthier your brain. Oxygen levels and blood flow both increase, making it easier for your body to transport oxygen and nutrients to your brain. You’ll have better awareness, more energy, and longer endurance. All of which helps you increase the maximum potential of your memory.

Mental Games

Any activity that is mentally challenging will exercise your brain, but certain games will be more beneficial than others. Chess is one of the better games you can play to improve your overall brain health. It increases the white matter in your brain and stimulates neural growth. Studies show chess can increase concentration, improve problem-solving skills, help prevent dementia, and in one study, improved the standardized test scores by almost 20%.

Puzzles are also good for the brain. Studies show completing a daily crossword or sudoku puzzle can increase neural activity and delay cognitive decline. They reduce stress, sharpen logic and reasoning, improve spatial reasoning and visual acuity, and help with short-term memory. Memory games that change the intensity, frequency, and duration of things you need to remember will push your brain towards maximum results.

Creative Activities

Creative activities are things like learning a new language, painting, writing, dancing, gardening, etc. Creativity is a whole brain activity that utilizes multiple areas of your brain simultaneously. It aids in cognitive skills like processing speed and problem-solving, but because you use your overall experiences to shape your ideas, it improves your memory while sparking imagination.

Enjoying activities that allow for self-expression such as journaling or expressive writing help your recall abilities, while learning how to play an instrument like the piano or violin stretches your muscle memory, and drawing or sketching exercises your visual memory.

Conclusion

Memory training isn’t a single approach. You want to combine a memory training program with physical exercise, creative activities, and fun brain games throughout the day. Training your brain will help you absorb more information faster so you can use it when you need it. The more you practice, the better your memory will get, and a good memory will play a significant role in your personal and professional success. Whether you are a student, teacher, parent, entrepreneur, public speaker, doctor, lawyer, or any other type of professional, a good memory is a strong asset that will take you far.

If you already have a good memory, you can still benefit from brain training. A healthy brain helps with better sleep, lower stress, and a more optimistic state of mind.

For more on how to train your memory, watch this video:

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